Golden Tempo wins 2026 Kentucky Derby in wild comeback

The 152nd Kentucky Derby is in the books, and Golden Tempo crossed the finish line first, holding off Renegade and Ocelli, who finished second and third, respectively.

Golden Tempo, who pulled away at the end had odds of 25-1 at post time. He is trained by Cherie Devaux and had Jose L. Ortiz aboard as the jockey.

Runner-up Renegade went off at 5-1. Third-place finisher Ocelli had odds of 75-1.

While every Kentucky Derby is wide open, such is the nature of a race with 18 of the world’s best horses — after The Puma and Great White were scratched Saturday — in the field and 150,000 people in the stands, this year’s edition was expected to be even more unpredictable thanks to the lack of a standout runner.

Horses run on the track during the morning training for the 152nd Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on April 30, 2026 in Louisville, Kentucky. Getty Images

No. 1 Renegade — co-owned by billionaire St. John’s booster Mike Repole — was the morning-line favorite, but his post position and some concerns about a cracked heel left him unfancied compared to the chalk in the previous year.

The 2026 Kentucky Derby is in the books. Getty Images

While Renegade was relatively unpopular, there were plenty of trendy horses in the field like No. 8 So Happy and No. 11 Incredibolt.

Golden Tempo’s odds were longer than last year’s winner Sovereignty, which went off at 7-1.

It is unknown if Golden Tempo will run in the Preakness Stakes, which is scheduled for May 16. Sovereignty opted to skip the middle leg of the Triple Crown, a move that left railbirds disappointed, especially after he won the Belmont Stakes a couple of weeks later.